1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an engine with a cylinder disabling mechanism, and more particularly to a hydraulic pressure supply oil passage for supplying hydraulic pressure to hydraulic pressure control valves for controlling the supply of the hydraulic pressure to the cylinder disabling mechanism.
2. Description of Background Art
Engines are known wherein the engines have a valve disabling mechanism associated with engine valves. According to the valve disabling mechanism, oil is delivered from an oil pump disposed in a lower portion of the engine to hydraulic pressure control valves, which controls hydraulic pressure delivered to the valve disabling mechanism to disable cylinders depending on a vehicle operating state. The oil is supplied from the oil pump to the hydraulic pressure control valves through oil passages defined in a crankcase and a cylinder block. See, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2000-204917.
Heretofore, it has been difficult to define the oil passages in the crankcase and the cylinder block. More particularly, since functional components such as a starter motor, etc., are mounted on a rear surface of the engine, design considerations have been required to form the oil passages in bypassing relation to attachment areas for the functional components.